How Hydrogen Gas Protects Against Inflammation and Brain Injury
Biological Responses to Hydrogen Molecule and its Preventive Effects on Inflammatory Diseases
Research hubs: Brain & Nervous System · Immune System
- Evidence type
- Review or commentary
- Authors
- Ikuroh Ohsawa
- Journal
- Current Pharmaceutical Design
- Year
- 2020
- PMID
- 32981496
- Study Type
- clinical
- Delivery
- inhalation
- Outcome
- positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 8 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- Japan
TL;DR
Scientists discovered that breathing in hydrogen gas can help protect your body from inflammation and injury, not just by cleaning up harmful molecules like we thought, but also by triggering your cells' natural defense systems to get stronger and tougher against damage. This could lead to new treatments for diseases caused by inflammation and injuries.
Key Finding
Hydrogen gas appears to protect against inflammatory diseases and ischemic injury through multiple mechanisms beyond simple free radical scavenging, including triggering a cellular stress response called mitohormesis that activates protective pathways like Nrf2.
Summary
This review examines how hydrogen gas (H2) may protect the body against inflammatory diseases and injury from reduced blood flow to the brain. While hydrogen was long thought to be inactive in the human body, recent research shows it can reduce harmful molecules called free radicals and trigger protective stress responses in cells. The authors suggest that hydrogen's benefits come from multiple mechanisms working together, including activating a cellular defense pathway called Nrf2 and regulating the immune system, rather than just acting as a simple antioxidant.
Practical Takeaway
This is a review article summarizing existing research rather than a new study, and it does not include human trials. While it suggests hydrogen may have therapeutic potential through multiple biological pathways, the authors note that more research is needed to understand exactly how hydrogen works in the body and to develop effective medical applications. Anyone considering hydrogen water should be aware that most evidence to date comes from laboratory and animal studies.
Abstract (excerpt)
Because multicellular organisms do not have hydrogenase, H2 has been considered to be biologically inactive in these species, and enterobacteria to be largely responsible for the oxidation of H2 taken into the body. However, we showed previously that inhalation of H2 markedly suppresses brain…